The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling that affirms library digitization practices as well as certain uses of the millions of in-copyright volumes in the HathiTrust Digital Library.

Filmmaker John Sayles celebrated at U-M symposium June 4

By Deborah Holdship, Michigan Today

Perhaps more than any modern filmmaker, John Sayles personifies American individualism. From his 1979 directorial debut "Return of the Secaucus 7" to his 2013 release "Go for Sisters," he has thrived outside the Hollywood mainstream, using his films to explore such complex, nuanced themes as race, class and gender identity.

On June 4, the university celebrates Sayles' legacy in the one-day symposium, "Declarations of Independence: John Sayles as Author, Auteur, Founding Father." Symposium sessions are free and open to the public. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Researchers, collaborators, students and others will convene at U-M's Hatcher Graduate Library to discuss Sayles' artistry as a writer; his choice to explore provocative and controversial topics on screen; and his skill in navigating the business of independent cinema through a four-decade career.

On May 14 the library welcomed Maurice York, incoming Associate University Librarian for Information Technology. York comes to Michigan from North Carolina State University, where he served as Head of Information Technology for the NCSU Libraries.